Enemies
by Silvershadowfire
Summary: Set between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. A new teacher, a new student, and a new mystery confronts Yugi and his friends. Who can they trust? Non-canon intro to Marik; a couple OC's, but no Mary-Sues.
1. Chapter 1

This is a seriously Alternate History story, taking place just before the Battle City arc. I was having fun while housesitting. J I made a couple changes - Bakura has the Ring and his yami, who co-operates with him…sort of. The others all know about this as well.

As per usual, I'm using the Japanese names. (Which are given surname first)

Mazaki Anzu= Tea Gardner  
Jonouchi Katsuya= Joey Wheeler  
Bakura Ryou = Ryou Bakura  
Honda Hiroto= Tristan Taylor  
Kaiba Seto = Seto Kaiba  
Motou Yugi = Yugi Motou

Japanese Terms

Mou Hitori no Boku = My Other Self. Yugi's name for his dark side  
Mou Yami no Boku = My Dark Self. Bakura's name for Yami Bakura  
Aibou = Partner. What Yami Yugi calls Yugi 90% of the time  
Mou Hitori no Yugi = The Other Yugi. What his friends call Yami Yugi sometimes. They tend to call them both Yugi as well…  
Mou Hitori no Bakura = When the group calls Yami Bakura anything, it tends to be this.  
Yadoushi: Landlord or host. What Yami Bakura calls Bakura.  
Jii-chan: Grandfather  
Kaa-chan: Mother  
-san = Sort of like Mr or Mrs.  
-sama = Respectful honorific for those of higher status than the speaker  
-dono = Very respectful (and quite old-fashioned) term for someone of higher status than the speaker.  
-sensei = Teacher or master. Honorific given to anyone who is considered a 'master' of their art. Also used for anyone who is a teacher, in school and out.  
Kuso, shitte - Curse words. Yami Bakura and Jounouchi tend to swear a lot.

Other Notes

:mental speech:

{private thoughts}

If you look at the Eye on the Puzzle and the Eye on the Ring, you'll notice some differences. I don't know how accurate it is, but for my purposes I am calling the Eye on the Puzzle the Right Eye of Horus (aka the sun) and the Eye on the Ring the Left Eye of Horus (aka the moon). If it's just the Eye without any ornamentation then I'm calling it the Eye of Wisdom. (aka the Eye that appears on Yami Yugi and Yami Marik's foreheads.)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone in this story you recognize by name or even a vague description. They are all the property of Takahashi-sensei. Anyone you don't recognize is my Original Character, so please don't use them without my permission, okitay? Arigato.

The plot is mine as well, but one scene is adapted from the Japanese version of the anime.

AVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

Chapter 1 - A New Teacher, A New Student and A New Problem

Yugi walked into the classroom, yawning hugely. He and his other had been up late helping Jii-chan with a new shipment, which meant they hadn't gotten as much sleep as they'd wanted. The usual chattering, busy crowd of students filled the classroom; he slipped through them with the ease of long practise to his seat, giving a nod to Hanasaki and a grin in the direction of Honda and Jounouchi, who looked well on their way to getting another swat from Anzu.

Bakura slipped in at the last minute, just before the bell rang. Yugi glanced at the white-haired teen with a slight frown - Bakura was legendary for his punctuality. So being even that close to late was a surprise - he resolved to ask the other about it during lunch.

He rose with the rest of his classmates as a short American woman dressed in a business suit entered the room. Yugi blinked in surprise…what had happened to Nitoro-sensei, their English teacher?

"Good morning." she said in perfect Tokyo Japanese. "My name is Mitzra Ariel. I will be your English teacher for the remainder of the semester." She placed her briefcase down on the desk before acknowledging their bow. The class sat down as she half-sat on the corner of her desk, holding the a piece of paper in her hand as she began to call the roll. Yugi glanced over at Jounouchi, who was giving…studious attention to their new teacher. He smiled slightly, turning his attention back to the front.

She is a good looking woman. Only four inches taller than his own 5' 2", with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Surely no older than thirty, she was very slender and petite, the nubbed silk cloth of her pale blue business suit clinging to every curve. His smile grew slightly. Well, she certainly wouldn't be hard to pay attention to!

And she knew Japanese as well as English, which put her one up on a couple of his past foreign teachers.

"Motou Yugi." she called. Yugi raised his hand in a silent 'here'. She glanced over at him, meeting his gaze with her own.

A chill ran over him - he shivered. His other roused, looking for the source of danger.

:Aibou?:

:It's nothing, mou hitori no boku. Just a new teacher.:

He felt Yami Yugi looking through his eyes. :That was not nothing, aibou. It felt like Pegasus…a probe into our thoughts.: He paused. :There is something strange about her, aibou. She feels…different.:

Yugi tensed. His other self was much more sensitive than he…and if he sensed something, then Yugi'd be smart to watch his back.

"Now." She switched to English, taking him by surprise and forcing him to concentrate on what she was saying. "I should tell you a little about myself.

"I am from the city of Montreal, the province of Quebec. In Canada."

{So she's not American.} Yugi thought as he noted all of this down carefully.

"I have been teaching for 10 years, and have only recently come to Japan through a cultural exchange ESL program…"

Yugi remained on edge until the end of class, when she moved to the next room. He only paid half-attention to his calculus lesson - his other was much better at math anyway. When the lunch bell rang he jerked back to full awareness.

Of course, the topic of discussion during the break was the new teacher.

"She's not bad looking." Jounouchi grinned. Honda snorted.

"She's probably taken, gay or both - and besides, since when do you make eyes at the teacher?"

Bakura glanced at Yugi as Jounouchi jumped Honda, putting him in a headlock. Catching the unspoken signal, he nodded. The two slipped off to a corner of the class where they could talk in private.

"What is it?" Yugi asked quietly.

"I sensed something from the English teacher. There was something…wrong about her." the other replied in his soft voice. Yugi nodded, encouraging him to continue. Bakura glanced over at the tussle between Honda and Jounouchi, his blue eyes not seeing them. "Mou…yami no boku said she was 'reading' us, but that was all he would tell me."

"I sensed something too." Bakura turned his gaze back towards Yugi at the shorter teen's comment. "I think we should keep an eye on her - she might be after the Items." Yugi laughed a little, bitterly. "She certainly wouldn't be the first."

………………………………

The walk home from school offered more insights, this time from Jounouchi and Honda. "There _is_ something spooky about Mitzra-sensei." Jounouchi offered. Away from the peer pressure of the other students, he felt safe being candid with his friends. "She seemed to be looking right through me." He shook his head. "It was freaky."

"Yeah." Honda, being more laconic, didn't say anything more - but he didn't have to. A look at the worried face of his friend told Yugi that Honda was more than a little scared.

:Sounds like I am not the only one concerned, aibou. There is no telling if she is working for someone, or is herself a danger; she may also bear yet another Millennium Item.: Yami Yugi paced restlessly in the confines of his Soul Room, his uncertainty translating into frustration. :It would be wise to keep our minds and options open at this point.:

"Mou yami no boku has an idea." Bakura's quiet voice broke into the silence. "He was thinking - if this does involve another Millennium Item, then perhaps the Ring would be able to detect it."

Yugi looked up as the spirit form of his other appeared beside him, visible only in his eyes. Yami Yugi didn't look pleased - his lips had pursed so that it looked as though he had bitten into a lemon - but he nodded. Yugi did as well, smiling at Bakura who returned the expression shyly before his eyes narrowed and his hair suddenly grew wilder. The differences were subtle, much less pronounced than when Yami Yugi took over his aibou's body - the self-proclaimed Stealer of Souls being a much better actor than the Spirit of the Puzzle, much as said spirit hated to admit it. Nonetheless, to someone who knew what he was looking for, the signs were obvious.

Yami Bakura wordlessly held his hands in front of his chest, palms facing each other, calling the Millennium Ring to life. Everyone except Yugi took a step back - the memory of the RPG Yami-no-Game they had played was still a little too fresh in their minds to fully trust the dark spirit.

Without so much as glancing at anyone, Yami Bakura concentrated on the power of the Ring - as he did, the Left Eye of Horus on the central triangle flared to life and the prongs hanging from the ring glowed. Slowly two of them lifted, pointing to the right - towards the ocean. "Off to the East - quite a ways, actually." Yami Bakura said at last. "But there is definitely a Millennium Item coming to Domino City - in fact, I think there might even be two."

"Two?" Yugi glanced at the others. "Can you tell what they are and who might be carrying them?"

"Do I look like I possess the Eye?" Yami Bakura snorted. "I can't tell. All I know is that the feeling is split a little - like there are multiple sources out there."

:It would have to be the Rod and the Tauk, aibou.: Yami Yugi said slowly. :There are only seven, and the others are accounted for.:

:Mou hitori no boku…how did you know that?:

:I…I'm not sure, aibou. It just came to me.:

Yami Bakura gave Yugi a strange glare before returning control to his light half. "Well, we know they're coming." Bakura smiled.

"Yeah." Jounouchi grinned at his friends. "And we'll be waiting."

………………………………..........................................................................

Yugi adjusted the rather large chain that now held his Millennium Puzzle nervously. "Are you sure this is a good idea, mou hitori no boku? I mean, isn't it just a little…gaudy?"

:Of course not, aibou: Yami Yugi answered comfortably. :It looks good on you. In fact, I think you should wear a bracelet or something with it.:

Warmth rose in Yugi's cheeks. "Are you teasing me?" he demanded.

:Of course not.: Yugi glanced up at his other's spirit form - Yami Yugi sported a suspiciously innocent look. :But I think that you could easily catch Anzu's eye if you dressed a little less conservatively.: The spirit pretended to think a moment. :Let's see - some black leather pants, maybe a silk shirt - dark lavender, to match your eyes - and _anything_ other than those running shoes you're so fond of.: A wide smirk broke on his features and his violet eyes glimmered with mirth. :Trust me, aibou. A little work and you'll have Anzu panting after you.:

Yugi squirmed, sure he was blushing like a sunset. "Mou hitori no boku! Stop it!"

Yami Yugi laughed. Yugi sighed and shook his head, still trying to get the blood from his cheeks.

Footsteps in the hall made the boys look up. Yami Yugi vanished into the puzzle as the sounds stopped outside Yugi's room.

"Yugi-chan!" His mother's voice echoed from the hall outside his room, and a second later she knocked once and entered. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one, Kaa-chan." Yugi pulled his school jacket on and grabbed his backpack. "Just talking to myself."

"Alright, dear, but you had better get going. Anzu-chan is waiting."

Yugi nodded, dashing past her to the stairs.

:Aibou?:

The teen paused at the top of the landing. :Yes, mou hotori no boku?:

:Have…fun…with Anzu.: The overtones that came with the statement were rather suggestive.

Yugi felt himself blush brilliantly. He stamped his foot and snapped "I thought I told you to stop teasing me!"

By the time he reached the back door, he had managed to get his blush under control, but he could still feel his other silently laughing at him. He greeted Jii-chan and Anzu absently, still thinking even as he began his walk to school with his oldest friend.

The banter that morning couldn't hide the tension he felt from his other. The two had grown closer since their first official 'meeting' at Duelist Kingdom; Yugi could tell that his dark side had more on his mind than fashion when he suggested that Yugi find a chain for the Millennium Puzzle. Unspoken but palpable feelings surrounded the idea of Yugi losing contact with the Puzzle - as though mou hitori no boku feared that more than anything. Yugi shook his head - he had a hard time imagining his other being afraid period.

Nearly three weeks had passed since Yami Bakura had told them that more Millennium Items and their bearer - or bearers, more likely, since he'd never seen anyone except Shadi with more than one item - were coming to Domino City. An unspoken tension still sang in the air as the group waited for something, and hoped they recognized it when it arrived. That tension rose every English lesson, despite the fact that Miztra-sensei hadn't done anything untoward.

"Yugi?" Anzu asked almost shyly, breaking into his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry, Anzu." Yugi smiled up at her. "What were you saying?"

"Were you talking to mou hitori no Yugi?"

"No." Yugi sighed to himself. He knew she liked his other more than she liked him, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. How the heck did you compete with someone who was the other side of your own soul?

:Aibou.: his yami whispered. :I would never take Anzu away from you. I swear it.:

:You might not have a say in the matter, mou hitori no boku.: Yugi sighed. He smiled up at Anzu again. "I guess we'd better hurry if we don't want to be late for school."

"Yeah." Anzu quickened her pace. Yugi hung back for a moment, admiring her long, slender dancer's figure before running to catch up.

………………………………........................................

The figure moved in darkness, eyes narrowed as it watched the teenagers as they walked down the street towards the school.

Soon. They would strike soon…

……………………………….......................................

The classroom was already nearly full when they arrived. Yugi took his seat, trying not to let his own morbid thoughts overcome him. He could feel his other's worry, which didn't help.

Mitzra-sensei entered the room a few seconds before the bell rang, trailed by a young man Yugi had never seen before.

"Class, this is Marik Ishtar, from Egypt." she announced. "He will be staying in Japan for the next six months."

The white-blonde, tanned teenager smiled, flashing even white teeth, and three-quarters of the girls in the class sighed. Exotic lavender eyes observed them from under his messy bangs. Gold dangled from his ears; a wide gold collar peeked out from under the shirt of his school uniform, the jacket of which he wore half-buttoned up. Instead of runners, he wore black dress shoes.

"Ishtar-san, please take a seat."

Immediately a commotion arose as all the girls tried to make sure that a seat next to them was available. Jounouchi grinned at Bakura.

"Looks like you might have some competition."

The white-haired teen smiled gently. "I don't mind. All that chattering gets a little wearing sometimes."

Mitzra-sensei ran a cold eye over the class and they settled immediately. In the last three weeks she had proven to be a harsh, but almost aggressively fair teacher, who brooked no nonsense from any of her students. She turned to the board and began to write the weekly vocabulary list while the student got out their notebooks. Yugi only paid half-attention to the lesson - something in the air was twanging on his nerves, almost seeming to hum. The sensation wasn't painful, but rather irritating.

:I sense Shadow Magic, Yugi.: his other spoke up suddenly. :Very close.:

:Is that what I'm feeling?:

:Yes. There must be another Millennium Item nearby.:

Yugi looked over at Marik, who seemed engrossed in the lesson. Could he…

"Bakura-san!" All eyes turned to Mitzra-sensei, who was standing next to Bakura's desk. Yugi could see that his friend was sweating, paler than normal, his hands in white-knuckled fists on his desk. He looked as though he was fighting an internal battle against his yami. Sharp brown eyes observed the teen for a moment before the teacher spoke in a much softer tone. "Bakura-san, are you alright?"

"H…hai, sensei." Bakura managed. "I'm fine."

She gently lifted his chin and looked into his blue eyes for a long moment before giving an almost infinitesimal nod. Bakura abruptly relaxed, panting for air. Yugi frowned - his other looked through his eyes; Yugi could feel his shock. The humming in the air dropping away to nothing as Bakura stared at Mitzra-sensei's retreating back. The look on his face - terror mixed in equal parts with shock and dismay. He swallowed, picking up his pen and trying to look as nothing had happened.

:What was that all about?: Yugi asked his other even as he tore his gaze away from Bakura and back to their teacher.

:I have no idea, aibou.: Yami Yugi frowned. :I think - I felt a surge of strange power as she looked at Bakura. Whatever it was, I know it wasn't Shadow Magic.:

Then where did the Shadow Magic come from? Yugi wondered, his gaze falling on Marik again. He'd been here as well, but if it was him then why was it gone? Nothing made sense.

:We don't have enough information, aibou.: his darkness noted quietly. :We must speak with Bakura and his yami as soon as possible.:

:Agreed.:

The bell rang, dismissing the class. Yugi rose and bowed with the others, trying to get his nervousness under control. He followed Bakura as the white-haired teen ran for the bathroom.

When they reached the confines of the tiled room, Yugi walked carefully up behind him. "Are you okay?"

"I…don't know what exactly happened." Bakura's voice rose no higher than a shaky whisper. "When we came in the room, mou yami no boku sense another Millennium Item. He tried to take over - I couldn't let him make a scene right there in class. I guess that's why I didn't hear Mitzra-sensei. When she looked into my eyes… something threw Yami Bakura back into his soul room and locked the door. He… I…"

"I didn't…is that even possible?" Yugi asked in shock.

:Evidently, aibou.: Yami Yugi emerged in his soul form, watching Bakura oddly. :Ask him if Yami Bakura can even get out of his soul room now.:

When Yugi relayed the message, Bakura shook his head. Slow tears dripped down his cheeks. "It feels…strange. I can sense him - he's very angry - but I can't actually hear him anymore. I also think…he's scared, and so am I."

:May I take over, aibou?:

:Of course.: With a small surge of light from the Puzzle, Yami Yugi came to the fore and Yugi retreated to his soul room.

"Bakura." Yami Yugi murmured, his altered voice soft. "This is very important. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think I can release mou hitori no Bakura from his imprisonment…if you wish me to."

I hope he doesn't… Yami Yugi thought, watching the other teen. But I know that he will - I learned my lesson last time. Banishing Yami Bakura to the Graveyard didn't work, and his Ring returned to Bakura as soon as Honda threw it away. The bond between darkness and light was inexplicable and nearly unbreakable. Besides, while Yami Bakura might be an evil, sadistic thief, he was also Bakura's protector.

"Please." Bakura looked up at him and Yami Yugi nodded. Those blue eyes were so lost…

With a sigh he closed his eyes, calling his Shadow Power, the ability to affect minds and souls. Seeking, calling…

There… The Eye of Wisdom appeared on his forehead, sensing the pulsing, pale blue light of Bakura's soul. Delving deeper, he found himself staring at a sealed door marked with the Left Eye of Horus. A rippling curtain of crystal clear magic stood between him and the door - to his Eye it was marked with a strange, swirling starburst. He noted the sign even as he raised his hand and blasted the curtain with his power. It gave strangely, swirling with agitation. Yami Yugi felt an answering surge of Shadow Power from the other side of the door and linked to it, his dark golden aura merging with the dark blue of Yami Bakura as they blasted the shield to pieces - before Yami Yugi could study the magic further it vanished, gone as if it had never existed.

He opened his eyes in the corporeal world to find Yami Bakura had taken over the body and was staring at him. A wave of fatigue washed through him - whatever had made that shield had been strong.

"Thanks." Yami Bakura said at last, a little sullenly. He too sounded drained.

"You're welcome." Yami Yugi pushed back the tiredness, fighting to stay on his feet. "Just doing what your aibou wished."

"Yadoushi. He's my host, not my partner, baka."

A sudden surge of Shadow Magic caught them both off guard. The air rippled - a vortex opened, disgorging five men in long, royal purple robes. Each bore the Eye of Wisdom on their hoods and automatic rifles in their hands.

"Freeze." the lead man snapped before either of the spirits could react. "Don't move or we will fire."

"What do you want, bakayarou?" Yami Bakura growled.

"The Millennium Items. Hand them over and you can live."

Yami Yugi could feel waves of panic rising from his aibou - he send a feeling of reassurance. His fatigue vanished under a surge of adrenaline.

"No." Yami Bakura stated flatly. "Now leave…before I decide to destroy you all."

It was a bluff. If he felt like Yami Yugi did, he couldn't summon a Kuriboh.

:Mou hitori no boku! Link with me - you can use my strength.: Yugi's spirit was suddenly there, bolstering his power.

"You will have to duel me in a Game of Darkness if you wish to take my Puzzle." Yami Yugi's voice rang with utter confidence.

"Hmm. I don't think so, Pharaoh." The man's voice changed strangely, as though he spoke down a long tube. A golden Eye began to glow on his forehead.

Yami Yugi exchanged a look with Yami Bakura as they both felt the surge of magic.

"Someone's controlling him." the soul-stealer growled. "I could break the connection, but…"

Holding up a hand, Yami Yugi stared at the man. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Show yourself, coward."

Laughter rang from the man's lips. "I am the leader of the Ghouls…and like you, I hold the power of a Millennium Item. Now hand over your Items…or I will order my mind-slaves to kill you."

Then men raised their guns with clear intent. Yami Yugi's mouth went dry - the Puzzle should protect his aibou's body - but would the Ring do the same for Bakura? He reached with his power into the Shadow Realm, praying that he would be quick enough.

Without warning the leader jerked as though shot. The Eye vanished and he dropped, followed quickly by his compatriots. Two very surprised spirits stared at the person now revealed behind the prone forms of their attackers.

Dressed in black silk from head to foot, the figure was not very tall nor very short. Any clues - including age and gender - were lost behind the concealing folds of cloth.

"Who the hell are you?" Yami Bakura demanded, evidently coming to the end of his very limited patience.

"A more important question might be…" the figure spoke in a dry, androgynous voice. Crystal-clear eyes - the only feature to be seen - locked with Yami Yugi's. "…who would be willing to pay me a half-billion dollars to kill you?"


	2. Chapter 2

This is a seriously Alternate History story, taking place just before the Battle City arc. I was having fun while house sitting. I made a couple changes - Bakura has the Ring and his yami, who co-operates with him…sort of. The others all know about this as well.

As per usual, I'm using the Japanese names. (Which are given surname first)

Mazaki Anzu= Tea Gardner

Jonouchi Katsuya= Joey Wheeler

Bakura Ryou = Ryou Bakura

Honda Hiroto= Tristan Taylor

Kaiba Seto = Seto Kaiba

Motou Yugi = Yugi Motou

Japanese Terms

Mou Hitori no Boku = Another Self. Yugi's name for his dark side

Mou Yami no Boku = Dark Self. Bakura's name for Yami Bakura

Aibou = Partner. What Yami Yugi calls Yugi 90% of the time

Mou Hitori no Ore = Another Self (arrogant form). In the anime, this is what Yami Yugi calls Yugi before (and sometimes after) the end of Duelist Kingdom.

Mou Hitori no Yugi = Another Yugi. What his friends call Yami Yugi sometimes. They tend to call them both Yugi as well.

Mou Yami no Bakura = When the group calls Yami Bakura anything, it tends to be this.

Yadoushi: Landlord or host. What Yami Bakura calls Bakura.

Jii-chan: Grandfather

Kaa-chan: Mother

-san = Sort of like Mr or Mrs.

-sama = Respectful honorific for those of higher status than the speaker

-dono = Very respectful (and quite old-fashioned) term for someone of higher status than the speaker.

-sensei = Teacher or master. Honorific given to anyone who is considered a 'master' of their art. Also used for anyone who is a teacher, in school and out.

Baka, bakayarou = Moron, stupid, jerk…anything like that. I tend to use it most for 'idiot'.

Kuso, shitte - Curse words. Yami Bakura and Jounouchi tend to swear a lot.

Inu = Dog

Other Notes

:mental speech:

{private thoughts}

If you look at the Eye on the Puzzle and the Eye on the Ring, you'll notice some differences. I don't know how accurate it is, but for my purposes I am calling the Eye on the Puzzle the Right Eye of Horus (aka the sun) and the Eye on the Ring the Left Eye of Horus (aka the moon). If it's just the Eye without any ornamentation then I'm calling it the Eye of Wisdom. (aka the Eye that appears on Yami Yugi and Yami Marik's foreheads. Has anyone else noticed that Yami Bakura seems immune from that particular manifestation of Shadow Power?)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone in this story you recognize by name or even a vague description. They are all the property of Takahashi-sensei. Anyone you don't recognize is my Original Character, so please don't use them without my permission, okitay? Arigato.

**Chapter 2**

Yami Yugi gathered his exhausted resources and prepared to fight. Beside him Yami Bakura pulled out his deck in preparation for summoning.

"Oh, please." A tinge of disgust flavoured the figure's tone as - he? She? - settled back and sighed. "Don't worry, I don't take contracts on sixteen year old boys."

"Nor do we trust strangers who appear out of nowhere to help us." Yami Yugi didn't relax in the slightest. "How are we to know this is not a trap?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, you don't." The person shrugged. "I am known as Black Diamond, head of the Assassin's Guild. If you decide you would like to get hold of me…" A card flicked from between black-gloved fingers. "Here's my number and website." With that, the figure vanished as though made of smoke.

Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura exchanged a wordless look, then decided that this was not the place to discuss matters. The shorter of the two scooped the card up and left first - Yami Bakura lingered, his eyes full of vicious pleasure as he used the last of his magic to banish their assailant's unconscious bodies into the Shadows. With a snicker, he left the bathroom.

They were nearly at the classroom when the thief caught up to the other yami, who gave him a glare that said clearly 'I felt that.' Yami Bakura just smirked before retreating to the Ring.

During class, Jounouchi passed him a note; in Bakura's clear handwriting, it said:

Yugi

Meet us after school at my apartment. Mou yami no boku wishes to speak with mou hitori no Yugi.

Bakura Ryou

Yugi glanced over at Bakura, caught his eye, and nodded once.

………………………………....................

Bakura's apartment was almost painfully neat, especially considering that he lived there by himself in order to protect his family from the possible ravages of his dark half. Yugi slipped off his shoes and entered the living room, wary despite the fact that Bakura was his friend and he trusted him. He _didn't_ trust mou yami no Bakura; especially considering that he and Yugi's own dark side seemed to have a permanent enmity.

Carefully sitting down on a couch just as Bakura re-entered the room carrying a tray, he noticed the aroma of Western tea. Setting it down on the coffee table, the white-haired teen sat beside Yugi - not too close - and poured for them both.

"Are you alright now, Bakura?" Yugi asked at last, breaking the silence. The white-haired teen looked exhausted, black rings under his eyes. Truth be told, Yugi himself wanted nothing more than to lie down on the spot and sleep - the energy he'd given to mou hitori no boku was demanding it's due now.

"Just a little tired." the other placed his cup on the table and sighed. "Mou yami no boku is coming out now." he warned, closing his eyes. Yugi retreated as well, watching the proceedings in 'spirit form'.

"What did you wish to speak about?" Yami Yugi crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch. Yugi felt a flash of jealously at his other's ability to extrude confidence in nearly any situation.

"What happened today, of course, baka." Yami Bakura answered, blue eyes flickering as though they might be overheard, even here. "You trust this spawn of Anubis?"

"Honestly…about as far as I trust you."

:That isn't very nice, mou hitori no boku.:

:This situation calls for honest, not nice, aibou.:

Yugi saw his other glance up at Yami Bakura and sigh. "No, I don't trust this assassin - but I trust these 'ghouls' even less. And he did save us."

"Which could be nothing more than a setup." Yami Bakura pulled a butter knife from the tea service, running his finger along the length and tsking at the dullness.

:Mou hitori no boku - ask if mou yami no Bakura can break into an encrypted computer system.:

:Why?:

:Because - we have the website. He might be able to discover more if he knows how to hack.:

:Okay…: He didn't really understand what Yugi was talking about, but..."Can you break into a computer system? An encrypted one?"

The thief raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed, Pharaoh. I didn't think you knew a thing about computers."

Yami Yugi smirked. "You didn't answer the question, soul thief." {And I'm not going to let you know how much I really don't know about this world.}

:Aibou...remind me to get some lessons on these 'computer' things of yours.:

:Alright.:

A long-suffering sigh escaped Yami Bakura's lips. "Yes, baka, I can break into a computer system. If you give me that card I saw you abscond with, then I'll see what I can find out."

Another thought flashed between Yami Yugi and his aibou. "Can you break into the school records as well, find out about Mitzra-sensei?"

Yami Bakura's face twisted in a snarl. "I would rather just steal her soul and feed it to Ammet."

"I'm sure." Yami Yugi said dryly. "However, under the circumstances I don't know that that would be a good idea. After all, just because she threw _you_ into your own soul room doesn't make her one of the bad guys."

"You can leave anytime now."

"I'm not done. I think it might be a good idea to find out what we can about Ishtar-san as well. And these purple-robed attackers. I don't like all these new people showing up all of a sudden."

Yami Bakura paused, as though he were going to say something, then flicked the knife between his fingers nervously. "So there is a brain under all that hair. Alright…I can agree with that." His tone added the word _reluctantly._ "After all, anything that's a threat to your _aibou_ is also potentially a threat to my yadoushi; I will not allow any harm to come to him."

"Nothing like enlightened self-interest." Yami Yugi smiled while Yugi stifled a giggle.

"Right." Yami Bakura rose. "I'm sure you can see your…selves out of the apartment. Apparently I have work to do." He held out his hand - Yami Yugi dug in his pocket, extracting the card the assassin had left behind. Without a further word, the thief left.

Yugi took control back from his other self, frowning thoughtfully. He finished his tea and carried the set back into the kitchen before heading for the front door. Something was bothering him, and it had nothing to do with Black Diamond. As they walked back to the Kame Game Shop, it clicked in his mind.

:Mou hitori no boku?:

:Yes?:

:I just remembered…those people in the purple robes - they called you Pharaoh, and seemed to know that you were not me. Just now, mou yami no Bakura called you that as well.:

Yami Yugi blinked. He hadn't noticed. :You're right, aibou. But I don't know how or why.: He paused. :Aibou?:

:Hai?:

:What, precisely, is a 'pharaoh?':

Yugi sighed. Just something else to add to the list of mysteries they had to solve.

………………………………

Ariel Mitzra stifled a yawn as she wrote the day's lesson on the board, keeping a mental 'eye' on her students. She turned and began the lesson, only half her mind on what she was saying. The other half brooded on the information she had gathered in the last few weeks.

Primary amongst her subjects: Yugi Motou, the shortest 15 year old she's ever laid eyes on. Wild spiked hair - today with some blonde streaks in the black mass rather than simply falling around his face the way it usually did - wide lavender eyes, and an aura that normally blazed bright as the sun. Not today - his eyes seemed narrower, and his aura black as a shadow. People's auras didn't change like that, so quickly.

Ryou Bakura; second on her list. The quiet white-haired teen with his baby blue eyes and pale skin was as much an enigma as Yugi. His aura shone nearly the same white as his hair, bright, pure and gentle - save a spot right over his heart which was black as night.

Then there was the Egyptian student. Marik Ishtar - whose spirit was so twisted it was a wonder that he could function in normal society - watched her with secrets hidden in his lavender gaze.

All three bore items of great power and antiquity; worn openly, as Yugi did, or hidden. Either way, she could sense their presence.

A blink was the only sign as she put pieces together in her head. Yesterday, Yugi's aura had been bright gold and nearly blinding - except for a dark spot over his stomach where his necklace rested. Now…She took a closer look. Darkness shrouded the boy - except for near the necklace, which glowed with that same golden light.

{Well, well, well. Interesting.}

The inverted-pyramid-shaped artefact seemed to have other effects as well. Strands of mixed light and dark power ran from it to Bakura, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu. Lesser strands ran to Kaiba, Hanasaki and right out of the room.

Hmm. Perhaps the power in the artefacts was more complex than she had initially surmised, which would explain why Bakura was having such troubles yesterday when she had cast the dark magic, which had been trying to take over the boy, back into it's prison, which she could sense even if she couldn't see it. Rather abruptly, Bakura's aura shifted as well; the darkness over his heart spread out, surrounding him, sending the white aura towards it's prison.

Years of teaching had taught Ari to school her expressions, which is why she didn't gape at the child in utter shock. Physically, nothing was different, but to her Aura-Sight the differences were astonishing. This spirit - was ancient. She could feel the years and the dark power it possessed.

Could it be - the power in the artefacts was sentient? Souls trapped in formed gold rather than raw power?

Curiouser and curiouser. She would have to keep an eye on all of them. Her task would be impossible if she let any possible information slip from her grasp.

……………………

Yami Yugi growled to himself every time Mitzra-sensei's gaze passed over them. He didn't like how her hazel eye lingered on himself and Bakura; she seemed to be taking note of everyone in the class that was a friend to or an acquaintance of his aibou.

And Marik. He glanced at the blonde Egyptian, who seemed oblivious to the subtle currents of tension flowing around the room. Ever Kaiba seemed more aware of things, glancing from Mitzra-sensei to himself and Jounouchi. Marik reached into his backpack, toying with some object for a moment before drawing his hand out and paying studious attention to the lesson again. Yami Yugi sighed - something about the teen just didn't…_feel…_right.

He glanced up at his teacher again just in time to catch her eyes widen for a moment. It was incredibly slight, but Yami Yugi could read people like the notes on his Duelmonster's cards when he set his mind to the task. Following her gaze to Bakura, he cocked his head and wondered. With Yami Bakura, it was impossible to tell if the thief didn't want you to know…or was it? Had Bakura changed places with his other - and had their teacher noticed?

Bakura caught his eye - for a moment his eyes narrowed and a wicked grin slid across his lips. Yami Yugi frowned - so the two _had_ changed. And their sensei _had_ reacted. He glanced back up at the front. She had noticed the change in Bakura - did she also see the differences when he himself took over his aibou's form?

Or maybe she could simply sense when a soul changed places. Even so, she would have to be incredibly sensitive to catch Yami Bakura in the act.

Pondering, he wondered if she bore either the Tauk or the Rod.

Yugi's question came back to him. How had he known what the remaining Items were? Nothing existed past the point where the Puzzle had been solved and he had bonded with Yugi. Indeed, for a long while he had thought himself nothing more than a splinter of the boy's own psyche - which didn't answer why he could tap into the Shadow Magic of the Puzzle and Yugi couldn't - but since he'd popped up with that interesting little bit of trivia, he'd been remembering other things; bits and pieces that made no sense. The word 'Pharaoh'...although he had not known it's meaning until Yugi had told him, the sound rang chords deep in his mind.

With a mental slap. Yami Yugi brought his mind back to the present. This was not the time nor the place to be woolgathering.

"Mr. Mouto?" Perfect timing. Yami Yugi tried to make his eyes wider and his voice less commanding.

"Yes, Mrs. Mitzra?"

"Can you tell me the verb for ikimasu in English please?"

"To go."

"Conjugate it, please."

He sighed mentally, poking at Yugi's memories for the answer. Evidently satisfied with his response, she moved on to questioning Jounouchi.

Idly taking notes for his aibou to study later, Yami Yugi hoped that Yami Bakura had come up with some answers of his own.

"Can I sit here?"

Yugi looked up to see Marik Ishtar standing beside him, eyeing the space beside him with a half-shy smile on his face. Swallowing a bite of his sandwich, Yugi nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks." Marik smiled, nodding a greeting to the others, who returned it - except for Jounouchi, who never paused in the process of shovelling down his lunch.

"I see you got away from your fan club." Honda grinned, stirring his ramen noodles. Marik just grimaced.

"Thank Osiris for that." the Egyptian shuddered. He looked over at Bakura, who was eating a bento box with his typical neatness. "I don't know how you can stand them."

The white-haired youth smiled slightly. "It takes practise; I've found that running away from them just encourages the need to chase." He paused, nibbling on a tempura tidbit before continuing. "So, how do you like Japan?"

"Cold." Marik shivered, digging a fork into his salad. "But the people are friendly - for the most part." He exchanged a smile with Bakura. "Sometimes a little too friendly."

"Kami-sama…I wish I had your problems." Honda cast his eyes to the heavens in silent prayer. Anzu and Yugi giggled.

"Trade you?" Marik and Bakura said at the same time. Everyone burst out laughing.

The laughter died as their English teacher walked past the table. Yugi felt the burst of mistrust from his other - he glanced at Bakura, who for a split second seemed to sport wilder hairstyle of his other before it settled again.

"What's wrong?" Marik asked of the suddenly silent group. Yugi glanced at him and shook his head.

"We don't know, Marik-kun - but I think it might be wise to avoid her. There is something untrustworthy about her."

Lavender eyes blinked slowly as the Egyptian teen watched the teacher pass. "Really…"

After school, the Yugi-gumi gathered at the Kame Game Shop to hear what the Soul-thief had found out - much to said thief's displeasure.

"I still can't believe you got mou yami no Bakura to help out." Jounouchi caught Yugi in a headlock. "What'd'cha have to bribe him with?"

"I'm right here, baka inu." Yami Bakura snapped. "Now sit down and shut up before I find a muzzle for you."

Growling, Jounouchi lunged for the thief, but Honda and Otagi got there first, pinning the hot-headed blonde before he could do Bakura or - more likely - himself any harm. Honda sat on him.

"So what did you find out?" he asked politely, ignoring the squirming and cursing of his 'prisoner.'

Yami Bakura smirked at Jounouchi for a moment before turning to answer Honda. "Not as much as I would have liked."

The rest of the group sat in a circle, all their attention on him. Even Jounouchi had stopped squirming.

"Alright - most of what I found on the English teacher jives with the history she gave us in class. She graduated with her degree in teaching from the University of Guelph in Ontario - that's one of the 'provinces', kind of like a large prefecture, that make up the country. She's been teaching history at the University of Montreal in Quebec - that's another province - ever since.

At the start of the school year she moved to Japan with the cultural exchange program; no big surprise there. But from what I could find out, she practically had to quit her previous position in order to move here."

"She must have another reason to be in Japan." Anzu leaned forward, her hand supporting her chin as she thought. "I can't think why else she would go to such an extreme; giving up a prestigious position at a university to teach here makes no sense."

"Maybe…" Yugi started, trailing off. Everyone glanced over at the small duelist, who blushed slightly. "I was just thinking - she might tell us why if we asked her."

That caused a small explosion as everyone tried to talk at once. Finally Yami Yugi came out, silencing them all with a wave and the force of his personality. "Enough. This turmoil is getting us nowhere. Yami no Bakura-san, did you find out anything else about the woman?"

Narrow blue eyes surprised at being addressed with a modicum of politeness, Yami Bakura shook his head.

"Unfortunately, that's all I could find out of interest." He flipped through some pieces of paper.

"Black Diamond is even more of an enigma, but what little I found is very interesting. He's not just any hired killer - he's supposed to be the world's foremost assassin. Been around since 1989; never takes contracts without fulfilling them to the letter. So far, no one knows what he looks like; could be a man, a woman or a dog for all anyone knows." He grinned wickedly at Jounouchi, who growled back.

"I couldn't break into the confidential information on the website, though. All that's there is a contact e-mail link."

"Aw, something the great thief can't steal." Jounouchi taunted.

Yami Bakura snorted. "Frankly, the firewall's so complex that I don't know if Kaiba could break into this thing."

Marik walked up to the English teacher's office, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips. So Yugi and his clique didn't trust the woman - he would be able to use that paranoia to his own ends.

The teacher looked up as he entered her office without knocking; her hazel eyes were tired and her blonde hair dishevelled. "Can I help you, Mr. Ishtar?" she asked in a quiet, exhausted tone.

"Yes, actually." Closing the door with his foot, Marik reached into his backpack and pulled out a long object draped in purple cloth. "I think that you will be a lot of help to me." Shaking the object free of the restraint, Marik pointed the business end of the Millennium Rod at her, the Eye moulded on the top already beginning to glow with rainbow light. "I think you will make a wonderful mind-slave."

She blinked in shock as he bade the Shadow Magic reach for her mind and memories, turning and twisting them to his will.

For a long moment nothing happened. Then the spell withered and died, finding nothing to grasp. Marik lowered the rod in shock, staring at the woman, who merely smiled. Rising, she moved around the desk that separated them.

"Mind slave, is it?" Her voice had changed - older, smoother, no longer with that touch of impatience that marked it in class. Her lips still curved in a smile, but her eyes were hard and deep, showing a strength beyond her age. "I don't think so."

"Impossible." Marik breathed. "N..nothing can stand against the power of the Millennium Rod."

"Really." Dry sarcasm edged her tone. Mitzra-sensei raised an elegant eyebrow - and the Rod flew from his grasp to land on the far side of the room. "I think you'll find that nothing is _actually_ impossible."

Marik swore in Egyptian and dove for the Rod, rolling to his feet with the item outstretched between them. A burst of magic threw her into the back wall before he ran for it.

{Who is she?} he thought, trying to still the raw fear roiling in his guts and the shaking in his limbs even as he sped down the empty hallways. {What is she?}

He glanced over his shoulder in the general direction of the office. {This isn't over.} he vowed silently. {You will pay for this humiliation - with your life.}

The moon sent the last of her silvery rays into Yugi's attic bedroom, illuminating the teenager tucked neatly in bed, the Millennium Puzzle clasped in his hands. Only his quiet breathing broke the utter silence, but he was not asleep.

In the privacy of his soul room, Yugi was having an argument with his other.

"What did you think you were doing?" the spirit demanded of his aibou, shadowed violet eyes flashing. "Sending an e-mail to a hired killer, asking him for a meeting! What if he decides to go after you and fulfill that contract of his after all? I can't protect you from your own stupidity, Yugi!"

"And I think you're letting your own paranoia cloud your judgement, mou hitori no boku." Yugi answered, valiantly not allowing the tears building behind his eyes to fall. His soft features took on a stubborn cast. "And I am not stupid! He _said_ that he didn't kill teenagers! And do you really think that if he wanted me dead, he would have tried it before? He doesn't know about you and mou yami no Bakura!" Yugi stalked up until he was nose to nose with his other self, poking him in the chest. "The only way that we're going to find out what is really happening here is if we get some information. Since mou yami no Bakura couldn't find anything out, I say we go right to the source!"

Yami Yugi threw his hands in the air. "Have it your way, aibou." he ground out, turning on his heel and stalking out of Yugi's soul room.

Silence descended as Yugi let the tears fall. He sniffled a couple of times before running after his other.

He found Yami Yugi in the central chamber of his labyrinthine soul room, sitting on a stone chair and brooding.

"Mou hitori no boku?" Yugi murmured, his voice echoing in the dank stillness where his other lived. "I'm sorry - I should have talked to you before I sent the e-mail."

"No." the dark spirit looked up; Yugi was astonished to see tears flowing down his cheeks, though his features were untouched by any emotion. "I am sorry I yelled at you, aibou. I was out of line - you have the right to make decisions - you are no child, and I am not your parent. Please, forgive me?"

Yugi threw himself into Yami Yugi's arms, hugging him tight. He felt a tentative hand run through his hair and looked up to see his other's rare gentle smile. Yugi sniffled and returned the gesture before pulling back.

"I forgot to ask, mou hitori no ore…did you get an answer?" the dark one set Yugi back on his feet and rose himself so they could converse face to face.

"Aa. He said he would meet us tonight, here at the game shop."

"In your room?"

Yugi grinned, sensing the remarkable self-control behind that statement. "Aa. But that's okay; I think that if he really wanted us dead, he wouldn't bother with traps. And if you think about it, he didn't need to interfere when he did. He could have let the Ghouls attack, right?"

"I suppose." Yami Yugi sighed, features twisted with indecision. "I mislike having him so close to you, aibou. What if…"

Yugi reached up and tapped his other on the nose, silencing him. "Trust me. I don't think he will harm us - and if he tries anything, you're well rested. I'm quite sure that you can protect me. _I_ trust _you_." Then he turned his wide amethyst eyes on his other.

Yami Yugi sighed, defeated. "Fine, aibou. But I am not letting you face him alone - I will be there in spirit form."

"Okay!" Yugi winced as the sound of his alarm clock rang through the soul room. "It's time - let's go."

Yami Yugi separated to spirit form as soon as his aibou stumbled out of bed, throwing on some clothes. The clock said 11:45 - the assassin must be due at midnight. Yugi threw him a grin as he sat down on the edge of the bed to wait.

At precisely midnight, a shadowy figure appeared at the window. Soundlessly it stared at the youth - who nodded. "Please, come in."

Yami studied the figure carefully, letting Yugi handle the actual conversation. Being effectively invisible, he could observe the assassin at his leisure; perhaps he could glean some useful information in the process.

"Why did you save us?" Yugi asked quietly. "You said you had been paid to kill me."

"I was offered the money - but I turned the contract down." Black Diamond answered, standing with no trace of self-consciousness in the centre of the room. "I always investigate contracts before I accept them, and in this case I was curious - why would they pay five times more for the job than any contract I had ever been offered before? Murdering a sixteen year old duelling prodigy and retrieving that pretty necklace of yours as proof of the hit - well, to be honest, it's too easy. And that makes me ask - why you?"

:So they want the Puzzle.: Yami Yugi sent the thought to his partner, who replied with a wordless affirmative.

"Who wants to kill me?" Yugi didn't have to feign the fear in his small voice or in the wide purple eyes he turned on Black Diamond. The dark spirit sent a wave of wordless love and reassurance down the bond with his aibou.

"I wish I knew - if I did, you could probably offer me 25 cents to off the bastard." the assassin crossed his arms. "I _don't_ kill kids."

Yami Yugi tuned out the conversation to focus all his attention on the lesser powers of clarity that came with his shadow magic.[1] Black Diamond used illusion to veil himself from intruding eyes - Yami Yugi would use his power to strip away those layers, revealing the person who hid within.

Like the layers of an onion, Yami Yugi peeled back the tiers of deception until he finally found the core.

Crystal clear pure magic the like of which he had never seen before. A figure of impression and thought, a soul like the wind - invisible and impossible to hold. Tendrils of incredible, carefully controlled power brushed his mind - he jerked back out of reflex, breaking the spell.

:Mou hitori no boku?:

:I'm fine, aibou.: Yami Yugi shook his head, hauling his focus back to the real world. At least he sensed no hostility towards Yugi or any of his friends. :I think this person is trustworthy, even if I cannot sense what, precisely, he is.:

Yugi sent a mental affirmation.

"You'll still have to be careful." Black Diamond was saying when Yami Yugi had recovered enough to pay attention again. "No Guild assassin will take the contract now that I've turned it down, but that kind of money is enough to buy a lot of non-Guild scum who'll do anything for the right price. So you will have to watch you're back, Motou-san - both for yourself and your friends. There are a great many people out there with no scruples to speak of."

"I thank you for the advice." Yugi bowed slightly. Black Diamond returned the formal gesture and turned as if to leave. "Ano…do you take contracts for anything other than assassinations?"

"Um, no, not usually. Why?"

"I was just thinking - you know a lot about this kind of thing, so…" Yugi took a deep breath and pulled out his most potent weapon - his huge, violet chibi-eyes. "I thought maybe I could hire you…to protect my friends and u…me." Tears filled the corners, threatening to spill. "I...don't want to die, and I really don't want my o...friends to die either. Please?"

Yami Yugi sent a wordless protest down the link. Yugi sent back a mental hug.

:I know you can protect me, mou hitori no boku…but what about the others? They can't be here all the time, and this Black Diamond knows more about hired killers than you or I do. And you did say that you felt we could trust him.:

With a mental sigh, Yami Yugi had to acknowledge the wisdom of his hikari's words. Still, he felt strange trusting a creature who's true self lay so hidden with the safety of Yugi.

The assassin squirmed under the kawaii assault until he threw up his hands. "Alright, jeeze kid, enough already. I'll do it."

Yugi grinned. "Thank you, Black Diamond-sensei!"

The assassin actually winced. "It's okay. How much are you offering?"

"Um." Yugi paused, then murmured "Five hundred and fifty yen. That's all I have."

A hint of amusement entered that androgynous voice. "Okay - hand it over and you've got a deal." As Yugi dug out the money, Black Diamond leaned against the wall. "I was planning on finding out who was behind this anyway - might as well get paid in the process, right?" Wordlessly, Yugi gave him the handful of coins, which the assassin made vanish somewhere in his clothing.

:I just hope he doesn't get a better offer.: Yami Yugi thought.

As though in answer to his comment, the assassin bowed low, the formal bow of subordinate to master. "Don't worry, Motou-dono. I never renege on a deal. Once I have the money, my services are yours until the contract is fulfilled or you release me."

Yugi blushed at the address and bowed slightly. "Arigato, Black Diamond-sensei."

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[1] In the anime, Yami Yugi used the powers of the Millennium Puzzle to acertain Mokuba's identity, though he had never met him at that point.

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That's it for this chapter! Please R&R! I would like to know how I'm doing!


	3. Chapter 3

Notes

:mental speech:

private thoughts

Because this was brought up by my beta Sansi - I don't know what pairings, if any, will be in this fic.

Review Replies:  
  
Pretty Arbitrary: Well, I could answer your questions, but then I'd have to hired Black Diamond to make sure you didn't tell! :) Anyway, read and see!

ToothyOne: I'm sorry for the confusion - they way I understand it, 'sensei' can be used for anyone who is a master of their craft - such as Takahashi-sensei. This is the way in which Yugi was using the term - I've switched it to -sama from this point forward to avoid any further confusion.

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anyone in this story you recognize by name or even a vague description. They are all the property of Takahashi-sensei. Anyone you don't recognize is my Original Character, so please don't use them without my permission, okitay? Arigato.

**Chapter 3**

"I think Mitzra-sensei is up to something." Marik commented at lunch. Three days had passed since Yugi had forged his pact with the Black Diamond, and absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened up to this point. Not a flash of black nor a hint of purple had broken the daily routine, but Yami Yugi refused to let down his guard. Yugi agreed; the two often switched at unexpected intervals so that neither became complacent.

"What makes you say that?" Jounouchi asked, licking a finger clean of salt as he chewed, expertly keeping from spraying food all over the place as he talked. Marik looked up from his salad and lowered his voice.

"I saw her. When I was going to my locker, I saw her outside, speaking with a strange man behind the pool building. I saw something long and golden in her hand - I wasn't close enough to make out any other details."

"What did this...guy...look like?" Bakura asked carefully. His tone didn't betray the slightest hint of nervousness, but he glanced over at Yugi.

"I couldn't see much - he was dressed all in purple. Some kind of robe - he might have been an actor or something. It didn't make much sense to me." the blonde Egyptian concluded. The rest of the group looked at each other with worried expressions.

:So...it appears that Mitzra-sensei is in league with the Ghouls - that explains why she bound Yami Bakura into his soul room before the first attack.: Yami Yugi murmured.

:But yami...if that's the case, why hasn't she done it again?:

:Because she didn't expect him to be able to free himself. She would not know how difficult it actually was for me to free him - so she has know real way of knowing the strength of the binding, and does not wish to tip her hand any further.:

:I guess that makes sense...: Something about the whole scenario bothered Yugi, but he shrugged off his suspicions. Yami Yugi was smarter and more perceptive than he, after all.

"We should follow her after school." Jounouchi leaned forward and grinned conspiratorially. "See where she hangs out - maybe we can even find her lair, and call the police or something."

"Or something." Honda agreed.

Jounouchi winked at Anzu and Yugi, who looked a little worried. "You just watch - we'll bust this whole thing wide open!"

Marik smiled slightly.

-------------------------------------------------------

Atop the gymnasium building – with an excellent view of the school cafeteria - a man knelt with a gun, leaning against the knee-high parapet. He glanced through the scope at a particular hairstyle, one that was impossible to miss. His mark was in clear view and utterly oblivious - the perfect time to take him out.

Squeezing gently on the trigger, he braced himself for the recoil - and slumped forward in a spray of blood as the weapon fell from his limp fingers. The androgynous black figure of Black Diamond pulled the man backwards, catching the weapon in a firm grip. With a flick of the wrist, the assassin pulled a nearly invisible razor-wire garrotte from around the man's neck. Awkwardly tucking the gun under an arm, Black Diamond coiled the wire up and tucked it away before catching a handful off the now-dead-man's hair and vanishing.

Seconds later, sans one gun and one dead body, the assassin returned to the roof, resuming watch over Motou Yugi and his friends - the teens continued with their lunch, not a care in the world.

"Hardest 550 yen I've ever earned." the assassin murmured to the wind. "And that's the fifth attempt this week. Somebody really wants this kid dead - I just wish I knew why and who."

As though in answer, a second figure appeared on the gym roof. Young, male and what around here would be called bishonen, he sported flyaway blond hair to the middle of his back, midnight blue eyes and a killer smile attached to the body of a professional model.

"Thought I might find you here." he said by way of greeting, his voice a mild baritone. The smile disappeared as he sat on the parapet facing the other assassin, careful not to block Black Diamond's view.

"Did you find out anything?"

"Sorry. Nothing more on the source. Whoever it was offered me nearly what they offered you for the job. I told them to stop wasting my time and the Guild's."

"Idiot. Every time the employer approaches the Guild, there's a chance he or she will slip up and give themselves away."

"Sorry." the young man said again, though he didn't sound like he meant it.

"Never mind, Phantom. See what Einstein's 1 up to - maybe he can backtrack this and find the source."

"Alright." Phantom gave a ghost of a grin. "I did find out that four more people outside the Guild have accepted the contract. That kind of money combined with the chance to show you up buys a lot of scum."

Black Diamond winced. "Ouch. Looks like I'm not getting any more sleep this week."

The grin widened. "Why not? School's the perfect place to sleep."

"That explains your grades."

Phantom's tone turned serious. "Something else you should be aware of - I sent word to Amber about these amulets you were instructed to pick up after the hit. She had no idea what I was talking about, but said she's look into the matter for us."

"Thanks." The assassin paused. "Wait a sec - I was only told about Mouto's pyramid necklace."

"You got another offer while you were out, for that white-haired friend of the kid's. Bakura Ryou." Phantom held up his hand. "I refused it for you - but in the detail column it specified a golden necklace as proof of the hit. That's why I thought there might be more than sentimental - and substantial monetary - value to the things."

Black Diamond glanced around the schoolyard. "You think it's a collector?"

Phantom just shrugged and crossed his legs. "Dunno. We've almost nothing to go on at this point."

"Okay." The assassin stifled an urge to sigh and tightened a concealing bandana. "If Amber finds out anything, let me know asap, alright?" The school bell rang over the grounds. "I have to go - lunch break's over."

"Have fun!" Phantom vanished like his namesake. Black Diamond scowled at the air, then stretched.

"Four more hit men, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. I _really_ have to find out whose behind this - at least if I want to sleep at night."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi woke with a throbbing headache. He tried to move only to find himself chained hand and foot what felt like a cold concrete floor.

For a moment he couldn't remember what happened; then memory resurfaced.

_She'd taken the bus, which made following her laughably easy even for a group of school kids. Mitzra-sensei had gotten off at an apartment complex in the middle of the city; Yugi and his friends had gotten off at the same time as she, blending in with the crowd of students who had taken the bus. While trying to decide on a further course of action, violent hands had grabbed him and a foul-smelling cloth pressed over his mouth. _

Well, that did explain what had happened. He tried to roll over, flopping unceremoniously on his side.

:Mou hitori no boku?: No answer - even the feel of his other self was vague. Suddenly noticing the lack of weight around his neck, Yugi bit back a cry of despair. They had the puzzle!

Horror and panic threatened to overwhelm him; Yugi choked, pulling futilely at his bonds. He had to get out - had to find the Puzzle!

Beside him, he spotted a mop of white hair - Bakura. Maybe...Yugi always wore his puzzle outwardly, but Bakura almost never wore the ring where it could be seen. If he could just call mou yami no Bakura... He hated the thought of depending on the soul stealer for anything, but until he could get the Puzzle back, he was pretty much useless.

"Bakura-kun!" he hissed. "Bakura, wake up!"

A moan emerged from the white-haired teen, then a louder groan as his eyes fluttered open. "Yugi-kun?"

"Are you okay?"

"I feel awful." With a grunt of effort, he managed to roll on his side to face Yugi. "What happened?"

"We got ambushed following Mitzra-sensei. It all happened too fast - they took the Puzzle, whoever did this."

That made the other's eyes go wide, hands groping for his chest. "They got the Ring too."

"So whoever did this knows about the Millennium Items." Yugi sighed, not realizing until pain cut through his wrist that he had still been jerking on the chains in a useless attempt to free himself.

"Oi." Jounouchi's voice came from Yugi's other side - he glanced over his shoulder at the blond teen; beyond him lay Anzu, Honda and Marik. They'd gotten everyone then - Yugi suppressed an uncharacteristic urge to swear.

"You okay, Jounouchi?" he whispered.

"Ow. My head feels awful. What the hell did they hit us with? Never mind - not important. Can you reach my pocket?"

"Why?"

"'Cause I have a jackknife in there; if you can grab it, I can use it to pick the locks on these handcuffs."

"Right!" A flash of memory ran through his head - Jounouchi trapped in a cell, chained to a psychopathic killer named the 'Chopman' who had been working for Kaiba. He'd picked the lock on the handcuff with the point of a candleholder before he could be filleted into tiny pieces.

Yugi rolled over, the simple fact of having something to do driving the worst of the panic from his thoughts. He wiggled around so that he could reach gingerly into a pocket, wishing that his fingers were longer as he felt the rounded edge of the knife handle slipping from his grasp.

"Kuso!" Jounouchi snapped; Yugi instantly rolled back over and went limp, almost ripping the other's pocket off in the process. Just in time - a group of people dressed in purple robes had entered the warehouse, their attention on the group. Yugi watched the proceedings through half-lidded eyes - he wasn't sure if he should let them know that he had awakened. Bakura evidently had the same idea, because his eyes were also nearly closed, only the slight glimmer of blue belying the illusion of unconsciousness.

"Well, what are we going to do with this detritus?" a familiar American accented voice drawled. "I guess we could let them go now that my master has what he wants, but...they'd probably go straight for the cops."

"Keith!" Jounouchi, who wasn't feigning unconsciousness, snarled at the American duellist. Yugi could hear the scrape of metal on the floor as Jounouchi tried in vain to break the handcuffs. He let lose a stream of profanity that made Yugi struggle to suppress a blush while Keith laughed at his efforts.

"It might be safer just to kill them - especially that one; he looks rabid." The other Ghouls snickered at the jab.

"You...Let us go, you mother-fucking cheating gaijin bastard!"

"Or maybe the Master would like some new slaves." Keith mused, ignoring Jounouchi completely .

"You might as well look at me, Yugi-chan." the American added. "I know you're awake - the fact that you twitch every time your friend utilizes his...extensive vocabulary is a dead giveaway."

Yugi complied, rolling onto his back awkwardly and sitting up. Indeed, Bandit Keith stared down at them - but something was subtly wrong. Even without his yami, Yugi could tell that someone else controlled the American duellist.

"Keith!" One of the other robed man came running up, catching Keith's attention. "There's a problem in the basement!"

"Shit." He grinned down at his captives. "Well looks like you got lucky, punks. I guess I've have to take a little time to decide what to do with you." Following the other robed man, Keith and his goons left the room. Jounouchi sent a few choice curses after them with Yugi rolled back over as soon as they were out of sight, reaching once more for Jounouchi's pocket.

"Yugi-kun." Bakura hissed. "I'll try and wake the others as well."

"Good idea." Slipping his fingers deep into the pocket, Yugi strained to reached the knife...

"Here." An increasingly familiar, androgynous voice murmured. "These might work better." Yugi looked up as Black Diamond literally materialized from midair, holding a bunch of keys in a black-gloved hand.

"There isn't much time." the assassin noted, moving swiftly to unlock the chains. "I don't know how much time the distraction I set up in the basement is going to buy me, so we'd better hurry." After unlocking Yugi, Black Diamond turned to Bakura's bonds; the teenage duellist took over the task of reviving the others. By the time they were all awake, they were also free - and following their rescuer, fled the warehouse.

"I'm glad you came." Yugi murmured, bowing from the waist to the assassin, who shifted a little as though uncomfortable.

"That's what you pay me for - seemed like that Yankee was about to off the lot of you. Damned amateurs."

"Yeah, thanks." Jounouchi echoed Yugi's statement; the others swiftly followed suit. Anzu was still crying and leaning on Honda's shoulder for support - Yugi suppressed a flash of jealousy.

He reached for the Puzzle instinctively - and gasped in horror. "My Puzzle! They still have it!" He turned to race back to the place where they'd been held, but a solid hand grasped the back of his shirt.

"Hold up, Motou-dono." A flash of gold appeared before his eyes - he grasped the Puzzle with a cry of pure delight, pulling the chain over his head.

:Yugi - are you okay? Did they hurt you?:

:No, mou hitori no boku - I'm fine, just a little bruised.: He felt his other growl and try to take over, but soothed him with a mental hug. :Maybe later, okay?:

:Promise?:

"I think - this belongs to you." Yugi came back to awareness in time to see the assassin holding out a second golden pendant; Bakura grasped it with a grateful bow and slipped the ornament around his neck.

"I saw these in there - thought you two might want them back."

"This is too close." the white-haired teen murmured. "We should leave in case Keith-san comes back and finds us gone."

"I hope his 'master' is hard on him." Jounouchi muttered viciously as they walked quickly away, following the assassin again.

:Not as hard as I'm going to be.: Yami Yugi growled.

:Hush.:

After a half-hours walk – it chilled Yugi to think how close the Ghouls had been to his house - they reached the Kame Game Shop. Black Diamond turned to face them. "I think you'll be safe enough for the moment."

Yugi bowed deeply. "Thank you, Black Diamond-sama. You truly have no idea what you have done for us."

With the mask, no one could make out any expression on the assassin's features but a definite smile could be heard as Black Diamond reached out, tousling Yugi's spiked hair affectionately. "Don't worry about it - no extra charge for last-minute rescues. So who put you in that mess anyways?"

"The English teacher. We think she's working with the Ghouls."

"Come again?" Black Diamond pulled back, crystal eyes puzzled.

Jounouchi grinned. "Yeah - she must have known that we were following her and led us into a trap."

"Really." The assassin blinked. "I'll have to check her out." And with that, vanished from their sight.

"I really would love to know how he does that." Honda commented.

------------------------------------------------

Reappearing on a rooftop nearby, Black Diamond gazed at the teens below, keeping vigil on Honda and Jounouchi as they made their way to their homes.

Phantom appeared. "Mizaki and Bakura made it home okay."

"Good." A lull entered the conversation, making the air heavy with expectation until Phantom broke the silence.

"Damn...the English teacher. Didn't think to check her out." A smirk creased his lips.

"But...it can't be." the assassin murmured, almost inaudibly. "There is just no way."

"Think I should check her out anyway?" If his grin were any bigger now, the top of his head would come off. "You know, full background check and all. She seems a little shifty if you ask me."

"Would be a waste of time, but go ahead if you want." There could be no mistaking the irritation in Black Diamond's tone – clearly the assassin didn't think it was a joking matter.

"Aw, you're no fun."

"This isn't supposed to be fun, Phantom." Black Diamond glanced over at the young man and his saucy smile. "And wipe that smirk off your face, you look ridiculous."

"Yes, boss." The smile vanished, replaced with an overdone look of stoic seriousness. The assassin's eyes rolled in exasperation.

"And don't call me boss."

"Yes, boss."

"If you weren't my second in command I'd..." Black Diamond began threateningly.

"... have to do all your own paperwork?" Phantom grinned again.

Black Diamond shifted, arms crossing. "You are enjoying this far too much."

"You bet." Phantom threw an arm around his companion's shoulder. "So, you want I should keep an eye on a couple of the kids for you? They're splitting up, after all. Or...I can always check out the English teacher."

He laughed and vanished before the knife even appeared in the other assassin's hand. "Stupid brat." Black Diamond muttered, placing the knife back in its holder.

"I heard that." Phantom's voice echoed on the wind.

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Inside the game shop, Yugi turned on the tap, filling a glass with cold water.

:Are you certain you are well?: Yami Yugi asked his aibou for the eight time.

:I'm fine. Just a little headache and a dry throat.: Yugi reassured his other, drinking deeply. The liquid did wonders for the dryness left behind by the drug.

:I still want revenge on the one who did this to you.:

:I know. But you should be careful - I don't think Bandit Keith is behind this of his own free will. He was being controlled somehow.: Yugi placed the glass in the sink and turned to go up to his room.

:Hmm. I wonder who, and how?: To his credit, Yami Yugi never even doubted the veracity of his hikari's instincts.  
:I don't know, mou hitori no boku, but considering who I'm talking to, I'm not ruling out anything. After all, if it is one of the other Millennium Items, then maybe the holder has the power to control the mind.:

:Quite possible.: Yami Yugi conceded. A flash of _something_ passed through his mind, but it vanished before he could identify it.

Yugi opened the door to his room, too busy with his and his yami's thoughts that he didn't see the package on the bed until he'd nearly sat on it.

"What's this?"

:It might be a trap.: Yami Yugi murmured. :I don't feel any magic from it - but still, take care.:

"Yeah." After the kidnapping he'd just been through, Yugi was much less inclined to be blasé about his other's paranoia. He glanced at the return address - Kaiba Corp. "Although, if it's from Kaiba-kun, then I doubt it's a trap - he wants to beat you in a fair duel."

:True - if it is from Kaiba.: Yugi felt a glimmer of Shadow Magic as Yami Yugi used his powers to discern the contents. :I don't sense any danger, aibou.:

"Then here goes." Yugi ripped open the paper, revealing a large square box labelled 'Duel Disk Version II'. He blinked, then carefully opened the box, revealing a large, arm-mounted holographic duelling device. In the back of his mind, he could sense his other beginning to salivate.

A letter fell from the box, fluttering to the floor. Yugi picked it up and read:

_Motou Yugi;  
__Enclosed please find one of my brand-new Version Two Duel Disks. Also you will find a book delineating the advanced rules for my upcoming Battle City Tournament and a puzzle card. Please hold onto the card - it and five more will be necessary for you to enter the final round of the tournament.  
__I look forward to beating you in the finals.  
__Kaiba Seto  
__Chief Executive Officer  
__KaibaCorp Technologies_

"He certainly doesn't lack confidence, does he?" Yugi grinned as Yami Yugi appeared in spirit form. Quite suddenly his solemn and serious other looked like a child on his birthday, shadowy violet eyes shining with eagerness, hands clasped together.

:We can enter right Aibou? Please?:

"I don't know..." Yugi paused as though in thought. His yami pouted cutely.

:Please?:

Yugi giggled. "Like I could stop you. Of course we're going to enter." He looked at the letter again. "I don't know when it's supposed to take place, so we might have to wait a while."

Yami Yugi glanced at the new rulebook. :Oh, I think I can keep myself busy in the meantime.:

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:Where are we going?: Bakura asked meekly of his yami, who stalked through the dark streets of Domino City. Personally, he was shocked that he was still aware of what was happening, rather than being locked away in his soul room.

"I want to find out some more information about this assassin the Pharaoh and his brat have on a leash - it could be important. While I'm at it, I see if there is anything about these purple-robed idiots. Since I can't get info off the 'Net, I'm going to try another way."

:But yami, younger people are not supposed to be in this part of town...: Bakura glanced through his other's eyes at the dark, dingy streets.

Yami Bakura switched to mental speech. :That's why I dressed us like this, yadoushi, so that we won't end up with a case of _terminal_ geekness.: He gestured at the black trench he wore over tight black jeans and a red dress shirt. In Bakura's opinion, they looked like a member of the Yakuza, especially with the black sunglasses.

:Yami?:

:What is it now?:

:Why...do you keep calling mou hitori no Yugi a pharaoh?:

The soul stealer froze in his tracks. :Because... he is.:

:I don't understand. You said once that the Millennium Items housed the souls of the dead - does that mean you knew mou hitori no Yugi in your past life - and that he was King of Egypt?:

:Egypt...is that what they call Khemet these days?: Yami Bakura resumed his stalking stride. :Yes, I knew him - or of him. At least as much as any commoner could know of a living God.: A mental smirk curled around the last two words. :Living God my ass. Stupid camel chips started to believe their own propaganda. The pharaohs were mortal...as my lord Prince found out when his precious father passed away.: Thick gloating leavened the words.

:So...what is his real name? I'm sure Yugi would love to know.: Bakura hid shock that his yami was actually holding a conversation with him behind curiosity. After all, Yugi had mentioned once that _his_ yami had no memory of his past.

:I'm certain he would: Yami Bakura slipped down a narrow, filthy alley :- but I don't know the Pharaoh's real name. Kings took a new name when they took the throne, and that is the name inscribed on all but their tombs. Since I didn't get the chance to rob _his_ tomb, I don't know his birth name. His throne name was Akhenkekui - which means more or less Living Spirit of Darkness in your tongue. Kind of unusual, actually - most kings liked to be named after one of the sun gods.:

:You were a tomb robber?: Bakura knew he should be shocked, but really it didn't come as much of a surprise.

:No, yadoushi - I was _the_ tomb robber.:

:So...what's your real name, mou yami no boku?:

Yami Bakura smirked. :Bakhura, the King of Thieves. Now be quiet, Ryou...I have to concentrate, or we could both be killed.:

Bakura shut up instantly. He didn't want his body harmed any more than his yami. Bakhura? How was that for irony? And did mou yami no boku actually call him by name?

So he watched in silence as his other slipped though the dark alley to a grimy door unmarked by anything save a name painted in dull red.

_Inside Out _

:Who would have thought that a squeaky-clean town like Domino would have a place like this?: Yami Bakura mused. Bakura wasn't certain if he was meant to hear that thought, so he wisely kept silent.

The inside of the place was packed with every type of ruffian Bakura could imagine, and quite a few that he would never have imagined existed.

'..._a retched hive of scum and villainy_...' the line from the American movie Star Wars ran through his head. Now he wasn't sure he wanted to be aware of what his other was doing in such a place...or why he was being greeted like a regular.

:What do you do while I'm asleep?: he asked his yami, a little sharply.

:Things you would be best not to know, yadoushi, if you would keep your innocence. Now be silent.: Yami Bakura walked up to the bar, placing a 5000 yen bill on the scratched surface and receiving a mug of thick ale in return.

"What'cha doing here tonight?" the bartender asked, either oblivious to the fact that his customer appeared to be fifteen years old, or not caring.

"Info." Yami Bakura replied shortly, flashing his demon's smile. "Anyone in who might have some?"

"Depends on the kind." the barkeep answered. "And on who's askin'."

"Very specialized stuff - concerning assassins." The soul-stealer handed over another bill - it vanished before Bakura could see the amount.

"Over there." The barkeep nodded in the direction of a particular dark corner. "You can't get much better info on that around here."

"Thanks." Yami Bakura slugged back the last of the ale and rose, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his coat. He slipped around the other patrons - who ignored him - and joined the indicated person at the table.

He was older - 55 or so, Bakura judged. Probably Chinese, given his features and the thin facial hair he sported, as well as the traditional - almost stereotypical - Mandarin Chinese outfit he wore.

"I hear you know assassins." Yami Bakura started without preamble.

"You hear many things, Qubu 2 ." the man answered. "Why do you wish to know of assassins? I am told you follow the thief's path."

"I do, jiisan 3 , but I wish to know of one particular hired killer - Black Diamond."

"Ah." Picking up his drink in long fingered hands, the nameless man took a sip. "You might well ask the size of a sound or the weight of light. Black Diamond is a puzzle wrapped in an enigma - no one save perhaps the leaders of the other Guilds know anything of whom you ask, and then I am not certain."

"Wait - there is more than one Guild of Assassins?"

"Indeed - there are two, and though they are associated, they do not follow the same banner. The Assassin's Guild is larger, with members all over the world, and they follow a triumvirate of leaders.

"However, there is a smaller assassin's guild as well - the Wind Assassin's Guild, who only take into their ranks those gifted in magic as well as the arts of death." He paused, as though waiting for an exclamation of disbelief before continuing. "Black Diamond is the founder and the strongest of these mage-assassins. He – please understand I use the term generically - rules with an iron fist - any who break the laws of the Guild are found dead, unmarked save for this." He held out a gemstone no larger than Bakura's pinkie nail; a three-dimensional diamond carved from hematite 4 .

Yami Bakura took the gem carefully, running it through his fingers. "How much for the memento, jiisan?"

"Take it - but should you ever find out anything of the assassin's identity, please let me know - he is something of a hobby of mine."

"Not a problem. I don't suppose you know anything about a group of purple-robed weirdoes calling themselves the Ghouls, do you?"

"Not much - only that they hail from Egypt."

"Thanks." Bakura slipped another bill across the table - the man made it vanish with the same alacrity as the barkeep had. The thief rose and left the bar, much to Bakura's relief.

:Yami...you stole that money, didn't you?:

:No.:

:Then where did you get it?:

:I stole some artefacts from the museum and fenced them.:

That wasn't really a surprise either. Bakura let his other feel his disapproval, for all the good it would do. :You shouldn't steal from other people, mou yami no boku. It's not right.:

Yami Bakura laughed aloud. "I steal the souls of men and lock them in lead. I was the most notorious tomb robber in the history of Khemet, and almost brought the royal line to its knees - and you worry about my stealing a few trinkets?"

:It's the principle of the thing.:

A wild grin crossed his other's face. "Yes, yadoushi. I know."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phantom ghosted above the streets, shadowing Bakura as the teen slipped through the dark alleys of Domino like an old pro. Personally, he was impressed, though the fact that the kid was out this late and in this part of town was guaranteed to give anyone trying to guard him a headache.

He had posted magical guardians at each of his charges' houses before retiring for the night - only to have one go off before he even managed to get settled. Using his ability to teleport, he'd gotten to Bakura Ryou's house in time to see the kid slip around the corner and into this part of town. Not the best part either - he would have expected Bakura to be mugged within fifteen feet, but something about the way he moved screamed 'predator' in such a way that the other night predators left him alone, looking for easier prey.

Strange shadows swirled around the alley; suddenly Bakura was not alone in the dark - four purple-robed people had appeared, two of them with duel discs on their arms and two carrying machine guns, which they pointed at the teenager.

"We challenge you to a duel, Bakura Ryou, with the winner taking possession of your Millennium Ring." Before Phantom could act, an evil, confident smirk crossed Bakura's face.

"A duel?" He laughed, a chilling sound. "I have a better idea...since you have the temerity to threaten myself and my yadoushi..." Phantom cocked his head in curiosity at the terminology "..._I_ challenge _you_ to a Shadow Game." The Ring around his neck began to glow; the robed men and Bakura vanished in a swirl of shifting midnight blue and purple fog.

"What the fuck?" Phantom exclaimed as he dropped down beside where they had vanished. He ran a finger through the edge of the dome of fog - strange magic crackled along his nerves. Suddenly he heard muffled screams inside the dome, followed by high, delighted laughter.

"Punishment game!" Bakura's voice echoed from within the dome as the screams grew fainter, trailing away to nothing. The assassin stepped back into the shadows, teleporting back to the roof even as the swirling mist vanished revealing the white-haired teen - who smirked in a self-satisfied manner before continuing on his way. No sign remained of his assailants. Phantom raised one eyebrow.

It appeared that Bakura could take care of himself.

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1 This OC belongs to my beta-reader Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain, and is used with her kind permission.

2 Qubu means 'shadow' in Ancient Egyptian.

3 Jiisan means grandfather - it's a general term in Japanese for any old man.

4 Hematite is a smooth, dark silvery-grey semi-precious gemstone also called Alaskan Black Diamond.

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Guess who bought a book on New Kingdom society and religion in Ancient Egypt? ;)

Anyway, if you've gotten to this point I presume you've read the chapter, so please click the little purple button and leave a review if you've got a minute. Thanks so much.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain and Sansi for betaing my stuff. It wouldn't be near as good without them.

See previous chapters for disclaimers and lists of terms.

:Telepathy:

_private thoughts_

**Enemies - Chapter 4**

Saturday, last day of the week, and Ariel Mitzra found herself heartily glad of the fact. She walked into her first year B-class, the one with Motou Yugi and his friends, and swallowed an exclamation of surprise.

The first thing she noticed was the twenty-something young man leaning on the wall at the back of her class, one hand tugging on a strand of his flyaway blonde hair in an ironic salute.

_What the hell is HE doing here?_

Phantom smiled gently at her before glancing at one of her students and vanishing. Her eyes automatically followed his gaze to Marik - and she got the second shock of the morning.

Clear, strong shadow-tendrils now linked Marik's backpack - and the golden rod presumably within it - to Honda Hiroto and Jounouchi Katsuya. Both their auras pulsed with anger and fear - those bonds were not willing.

So. That must be what Marik had meant by 'mind-slaves'. Cautiously she reached out, touching their minds, trying not to recoil physically in horror at what she found.

Those two would be utterly unable to disobey anything that Marik told them to do - up to and including killing another or themselves. In a strange way, they wouldn't want to, because he had manipulated their memories to reflect his own will. Jounouchi's mind was the stronger of the two - he _might_ be able to throw off the influence of the artefact on his own, given time and perhaps some kind of encouragement, but Honda didn't stand a chance.

Marik caught her gaze - he smirked at her, lavender eyes dark with cruel pleasure as he played with the golden ornament dangling from one ear.

:You will be one of them someday, _sensei_: he gloated mentally, loud enough for her to read with no effort at all.

Well, it would be a cold day in Jamaica before she would allow him to get away with that in _her_ classroom, thank you very much. But she would have to move with stealth - if she gave any indication to Marik, he might fight back; that kind of struggle might... damage Jounouchi and Honda's minds.

_And that would be a little counterproductive, now wouldn't it, Ari?_ she thought dryly as she continued with her lesson as normal. She noticed that Motou and Bakura were watching her like cats watch another cat - wary, not certain of what to expect. She wished there was a way she could point out to them that Marik was their real enemy - but they were unlikely to believe her, given the mistrust that they - and the strange spirits in their artefacts - radiated.

_Oh, well. Always the hard way._ First things first - she studied the shadow-bonds carefully, noting every intricate strand winding into the victim's minds. Absently she told the class to break into groups of three to work on their English verbal skills, retiring to her desk to observe.

Marik sat with Jounouchi and Honda - no surprise, he wouldn't want any of their friends to notice anything out of the ordinary. Bakura sat with Motou and Mazaki - the three were watching Jounouchi and Honda as well, so in spite of Marik's precautions they must have noticed something out of the ordinary.

Good. At least their heads aren't stuffed into pillows. _I can make them see sense - if I can just get Marik to unmask himself, maybe... pick something hard, why don't you, silly woman?_ Ari glanced up at the clock, listening to the mix of broken, accented and fluid English speech around her. Ten minutes to the end of class - perfect.

Rising, she walked around to each of the groups before landing at last beside Marik's trio - not watching, facing or apparently paying any attention to them.

Reaching out with her spirit abilities, Ari subtly unwove the spell binding their minds and memories, turning the backlash of magic back on Marik, who jerked as though she had physically stuck him.

Ari smiled to herself as the bell rang, walking to the head of the class. Looking back, she caught Marik's furious gaze.

:You will pay for that, woman.: he promised.

Ari stared back, cat-like, and smiled.

_Bring it on_...child

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What, exactly, did you think you were doing in that classroom? What would you have done if someone had seen you?" Black Diamond demanded in a tone sharp enough to shave rock.

Phantom tried to look sheepish, failing miserably. "No one sees me unless I want them too. You know that."

The assassin poked Phantom in the chest. "You're right; no one saw you...except the teacher."

"And I meant for that to happen." Phantom figeted as an uncomfortable silence descended over them. They watched the traffic in the quiet neighbourhood below for a long time.

"It's Marik - he's the ringleader of the Ghouls." Phantom said finally. "I was trailing Jounouchi and Honda when the left the house last night with Marik - I saw him use a golden magical artefact made in the same style as Yugi's and Ryou's on them."

"Yet you did nothing."

That actually made him wince. "I wasn't sure if I had the skill to break an unknown spell placed by unknown means."

"Well, it's broken, so I guess that's all that counts - I wish I knew what Marik was planning, though."

"He's going after the English teacher, I bet." Settling down on his haunches, Phantom stared at the eves of Anzu's house. "That little stunt - breaking his spell when not even looking at him - really pissed him off."

"I noticed that too." Black Diamond paused. "But that gives me an idea. Do me a favour - keep an eye on Yugi and the others for me. I want to check something out. While you're at it...no, never mind. I'll take care of Marik; he won't make a move without me knowing."

"Hai, kage ore-sama no kaze. 1 "

Black Diamond gave the other a withering look. "I have _got_ to get you out of this country."

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Ari closed her eyes with a sigh, rubbing her aching forehead with one forefinger. Her computer beeped and whirred quietly to itself as it downloaded her e-mail. It had been a very long week, and the fact that the Japanese went to school six days a week instead of five was staring to take a toll on her resources - not to mention the lack of sleep brought on by overwork.

The computer beeped again, warning her that its task was complete. She opened her sore eyes with a sigh, glancing over the messages in her inbox.

One caught her eye, and she sat up with renewed interest. It appeared one of her contacts had finally come through with some information on the artefacts.

The message was brief, but the file attached to it was very informative. It appeared the artefacts were part of a larger group of seven, collectively known as 'the Millennium Items'; Rod, Tauk, Ring, Puzzle, Scale, Key and Eye. Not much was known, except that they were from Ancient Egypt - most likely from the New Kingdom era, about 3000 years ago - and that each was worth a small fortune.

_And three of the seven end up in my English class - what are the chances? I wouldn't buy a lottery ticket at those odds._

Her eyebrows raised at the next part of the message - some other artefacts of the same time period were coming to an exhibition in the Domino Museum; the liaison's name was Ishizu Ishitar.

Ishtar - the same as the Egyptian boy in her class with the pretty Millennium Rod that he liked to use so much. This Ishizu - was Marik a relation - perhaps a brother or a cousin? Had she given him the Millennium Rod - or was it just a wild coincidence and he had stolen the Rod...or bought it.

_You're babbling, idiot._ Ari told herself firmly. _You don't have enough information to speculate yet._

Ideally, Ishizu would not be a confederate of Marik's...but would know where the boy's thirst for dominion came from. The rest of the mail held nothing of real interest, so she put the computer into Standby mode and rose, yawning. A good night's sleep would be just the thing before she graded more papers.

As she curled up in the soft sheets, a sharp pain bit her neck and the world dissolved in a swirl of colour.

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Marik smirked as the prone figure at his feet began to stir. This time he held all the cards, and she would die for interfering with his plans.

Hazel eyes fluttered open, glazed with the remnant of the drug in her system. He gestured and one of his slaves brought over a glass of water. She took it, cautiously sniffing before taking a sip.

"Don't worry - it's not poisoned. I have more interesting plans for you." he commented, sneering at her caution.

"Joy." Mitzra-sensei commented dryly in English before switching to Japanese. "How about you just let me leave instead?"

"After all the trouble I went through to get you here? I don't think so, Sensei." Sarcasm dripped from the last word. Marik gestured again and another Ghoul brought over one of the new Mark II Duel Disks he had...acquired... from KaibaCorp along with a couple of different Duel Monsters decks. "Tell me...have you ever played Duel Monsters before?"

"No..." Her tone invited him to elaborate further.

Marik smiled thinly. "I challenge you to a game."

The woman sighed. "I supposed this is some kind of revenge tactic? Will beating me in a game of cards soothe your bruised ego?" She shook her head in the manner of a mother disappointed with her child.

""It's hardly petty, woman." Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed at the term of address. He smiled at the anger burning there. "Do you accept? After all, there is always a minor chance you will win."

"Look, kid, I don't know..." She broke off, took a deep breath and let it out again. "Fine, I'll play your game." Taking the Duel Disk, she examined it for a long moment before sliding it over her left arm and locking it into place. Marik, meanwhile, had already slid his own on his arm, set the unit, and had his deck in place. He watched her examine the two decks with the same intensity as she had the Duel Disk. "This is one of those collectable card games, isn't it? Those things with so many obscure rules you need a law degree to master them?"

Marik smirked. This would be SO easy. "Yes, it is. Though it is not so complicated as you seem to think. However, I also have a house rule."

A tight sound escaped the teacher. "What rule is that?"

"Loser dies."

Her head jerked up; she stared at him with wide eyes. "Say again? If I lose...you're going to kill me?"

"No...but you will die." Marik held up his Rod, feeling the Shadows move to his will. "Your life force and mine are now tied to our respective life points. When they reach zero..." Marik smiled evilly.

"Marik-san, I think you need to get your head examined. I'm not going to drop dead because I lose a card game."

"You showed me the powers you command, Sensei. Now let me show you mine. Duel start."

Marik drew his starting hand; his grin grew wider. Yes...even if she showed some glimmer of talent, he should be able to summon Osiris the Sky Dragon within five turns and destroy her.

"Go ahead, Sensei. You can take the first turn." He watched as she drew her cards, studying them intently. Thought she never looked up, he felt a delicate touch on his mind - reading it, but not to find out what he held. She was looking for the meanings and uses of the cards _she_ held. So, she was an honest player at least.

Too bad that wouldn't save her.

"I think... I play Mystical Elf in defense mode." She played the card on the field, and jumped a little as Kaiba's holographic technology brought the kneeling elf to life between them. "End of my turn."

"Nice start." Marik commented sardonically. He drew a card and placed another down face-up on the field. "I play Revival Slime in defense mode. Then I play two magic cards face down and Slime Generator." He slipped the cards into the slots - two more giant cards appeared before him, as well as a shifting plasma monster and a giant red dome. He had to admit - Kaiba was a genius with technology. "Your turn, Sensei."

Carefully the teacher drew a card, examining it before placing it down on the Disc. "I play...Tyhone in attack mode. Attack Revival Slime."

A creature shaped like a bowling ball with batwings and a long snout appeared before her. The Duel Monster glared at Marik before shooting a burst of cannonballs out of it's snout, destroying his monster... which reformed instantly.

"But..." she started. Marik grinned.

"Revival Slime reforms no matter how often it is destroyed." Marik informed her casually. "It cannot be sent to the Graveyard...and as long as it is in defense mode, you can't touch my life points." He could help but give a little gloating laugh at the chagrin on her face. "Done?"

"Yes."

"My turn." Marik drew a card, adding it to his hand. "My Machine will generate a Slime Token..." He paused as the hologram reacted. "I place creature card face down and end my turn."

"Okay." The woman drew, smiled a bit, and put down a magic card. "I equip this to Tyhone...Big Bang Shot. Plus 400 ATK points and allows the extra damage to be applied to you directly. Tyhone, attack!" Once again cannonballs spat from the Duel Monster; Marik had no chance to react before his creature died again - but this time 1100 life points dropped from his total. He growled, surprised. She should not have been able to touch his life points.

Well, it would be the last time. He activated one of his face-down cards. "I activate the trap card Pyro Clock of Destiny. Move the turn count forward by one." His Slime Machine produced another token. The teacher gave him a look he couldn't interpret.

"I'm not done." she announced. "I sacrifice Tyhone and Mystical Elf to summon Wingweaver in attack mode." Her two monsters vanished to be replaced by a robed fairy with six feathery wings.

"My turn." Marik snapped. For someone who had never played, she was picking up the game quite quickly. A third token appeared - he smiled as he drew. Her lucky streak was about to break.

"I sacrifice my Slime Tokens to summon the Kame no Cardo, Osiris the Sky Dragon in attack mode. Despair before the power of an Egyptian God Monster!"

He laughed as the whole room darkened, flashes of lightening crackling across the shadows as a massive red wingéd dragon appeared, restless coils scraping across each other. It opened it's mouth, roaring defiance at his master's opponent.

"What the hell?" he heard the woman mutter in English. He wondered if she felt the massive, very real power of the creature he had summoned - unlike the rest, it was no hologram.

"I have 4 cards in my hand, so Osiris' power is 4000 points. Next round, Sensei - you die."

He saw her bite her lip. "Interesting." She drew a card and placed it face-up in attack mode. "I play the Fire Sorceress." As soon as the hologram appeared Osiris' second mouth opened, sending a ball of lightening at the neatly-dressed girl, obliterating her. Marik gloated openly. "My dragon's second mouth..."

"Does 2000 point damage to any creature summoned, yadda, yadda. Got it." Marik shut his mouth, feeling oddly annoyed. He hadn't even felt her read his mind that time.

"I play Stop Defence on your Revival Slime, forcing it into attack mode. Wingweaver... attack!" The fairy opened her arms and flapped all six wings in unison, sending a massive air current out. Marik's life-points dropped to 1150.

Not that it mattered. He smiled as she studied her cards. She had to know he was going to hurt her badly the next round. She just didn't know she was already dead.

He watched as she placed two cards face down on the field. "My turn's over."

"Very well." He drew, adding a card to his hand and 1000 attack points to Osiris. "I flip-summon the monster Old Vindictive Magician." He held out his hand and the face-down monster he'd summoned appeared - a crazy-looking old man dressed in armour and ragged robes, holding a staff. "Destroy Wingweaver!" Dark magic lashed out as Marik utilized it's special ability to destroy any monster on the field. The teacher blinked as her creature vanished - then paled as she realized what that meant.

He let her stew in the knowledge for a moment before he held up his hand. "Osiris - attack her life points directly!" With vindictive glee he watched the attack wash over her - and the shock as she felt the agony turning to the chill of death. When the light cleared, Mitzra-sensei had vanished - her soul torn to shreds by the awesome power of the God.

Marik walked over to where she had been standing - only the Duel Disc and the scattered cards of her deck remained. He frowned - it was strange that her body had vanished, but maybe she was weak enough that the attack had destroyed her body as well as her soul. Either way, she would no longer be a problem for him.

Drawing his cloak tighter around him, he silently gathered his followers and quit the room.

Darkness fell as the Ghouls cut the power to the room, and silence reigned over the apparently empty warehouse.

Two figures stepped out of the darkness. Phantom tossed his blond hair, his eyes serious as he walked over to the place where Mitzra-sensei had been, fingering one of the fallen cards curiously. Beside him, Black Diamond gazed in the direction Marik had gone, crystal eyes unreadable.

"Well..." Phantom murmured at last. "That was..."

"Interesting." the other assassin finished.

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Yugi jerked awake, filled with the overwhelming sense that something was very wrong. He stared at the walls of his bedroom, trying to pick up on what it might be. The moonlight spilling through his attic skylight dimmed suddenly, leaving him in darkness.

Darkness. He shifted his awareness and realized suddenly that the feeling was coming from inside the Millennium Puzzle. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and found himself, as he had been once before, in the corridor that separated his Soul Room from his other's.

With a certain amount of trepidation, Yugi pushed open the heavy door. Inside everything was blacker than a starless night, as thought the very air was wrought of darkness. Cold wreathed the dry stone of the heart-maze where Yami Yugi lived.

The feeling of wrongness grew stronger. Yugi took a step into the room, then another, the only light spilling over from the corridor. Behind him the door slammed shut, dropping him in lightless gloom. Yugi swallowed, trying to bury his fear - Yami Yugi had told him once that the emotions felt in a Soul Room could come to life.

Since he didn't want that to happen, he focussed on the emotion he was sure now came from his other...an echo, maybe, of whatever his mou hitori no boku was feeling? An odd mix of anticipation and trepidation flowed over their link, suddenly almost overwhelmed by...happiness? What was happening to his other?

Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness - or maybe the wall started to glow a little. Either way, when he could make out his surroundings, he took his first, tentative steps deeper into Yami Yugi's treacherous soul room.

Finally he zeroed in on a single door, pulling it open. He paused, expecting a trap, but when nothing happened he dared venture a step inside.

"Mou hitori no boku?" he called. "Are you here?" Fear surged over the link, sharp and cutting, as Yami Yugi screamed.

"nn pn! i Ast nD f... Akhet, nsp sDA! nsp sDA, sn!"

Yugi sprinted in the direction of the sound, running right into something that felt thin and thready, like thick cobweb. After a moment of scrambling, Yugi was through it, only to nearly trip over something hard. He stumbled, but caught his balance, glancing around to orient himself.

The main piece of furniture in the room was a strange bed, carved from wood and covered with lumps. The cobwebs turned out to be drapes of translucent white cloth. After a moment's study, Yugi blushed as he realized that the lumps on the bed were mounds of pillows surround his sleeping other- and that only a thin blanket, which had slid down to the hips, guarded Yami Yugi's modesty.

The dark one moaned again, and this time despair, thick as molasses, poured between them. Yugi caught his eyes tearing in automatic reaction. Instinctively he reached over, touching his other's shoulder; Yami Yugi shivered, skin covered in a cold sweat.

"Mou hitori no boku - wake up. You're dreaming. It's okay - it's just a dream."

Dark violet eyes fluttered open, still glazed with sleep. Yami no Yugi blinked once, then a wide, child-like smile appeared on his face.

"Akhet!" He surged up and glomped Yugi tightly with enough momentum to send them both down onto the bed again, sending pillows flying everywhere. Yami Yugi landed on top, his face buried in his aibou's chest. The teenager froze in shock as his other continued to babble in that strange tongue while purest joy sang through the link.

"Hsi nkAn wsir! k Anx!" He squeezed tight enough to make Yugi's ribs creak before curling up, still hugging his aibou, apparently unmindful of his now-total nakedness. He sighed contentedly. Slowly his body relaxed back into sleep, now using Yugi's chest as a pillow. Yugi managed to breathe again as the death-grip on his ribs released; he was blushing like a sunset, and he knew it.

Fearful of...disturbing... his yami further, Yugi tried to shift out from under the weight curled around him. When he moved, however, his other stirred and opened his eyes. Yugi froze; Yami Yugi stiffened.

:Aibou?:

:Hai, mou hitori no boku?:

:Why am I hugging you in my bedroom...naked?: Tones of utter mortification echoed behind the words.

A slightly hysterical giggle escaped the hikari. :Because that's how you sleep?:

One finger at a time, gathering as much dignity as he could with a blush that burned right down his torso, Yami Yugi sat up and wrapped the sheet around himself. :Aibou...not meaning to be rude, but what are you doing in my bedroom to begin with?:

Yugi managed to sit up as well, straightening out his clothes and carefully NOT looking at his yami. :I felt something, and I thought something might be wrong. So I came to make sure you were okay.: Yugi fiddled with a button. :I seems you were having a very bad nightmare, so I tried to wake you up. I think you mistook me for someone in your dream; you were speaking some other language, grabbed me, and well...:

:Oh, Gods.: Yami Yugi groaned, burying his face in his hands.

:It's okay, mou hitori no boku...you probably were dreaming about a past lover or something.: Now that the shock was over, Yugi decided it was time to get some of his own back after all the teasing his yami gave him where Anzu was concerned. He grinned at his mortified darkness. :But why didn't you tell me you floated that way?:

Yami Yugi curled up in a ball, pulling the blankets over his head with an embarrassed wince. :Oh, Gods. Let me die now.:

:'Cause I'm flattered and all, but...you're not really my type. I like girls, and you DEFINETLY not a girl...: He poked at the bundle of blankets; his yami just curled up tighter. :Mou hitori no boku? You still in there?:

:Yugi...:

:Yes?:

:I have a confession to make. Iam...what is the term...bi.:

:...: Yugi stared at the bundle in shock. :Mou hitori no boku...I had no idea...really, I didn't mean...:

Suddenly Yami Yugi surged up from the blankets, now magically fully dressed, with a wicked grin on his face. :Sucker.:

:You...what...AARGH.: Yugi threw his hands up in the air. :Okay, you got me.:

:I win again, aibou.: the yami leaned back against the hardwood head of his bed, a smug look settling over his features.

The pillow hit him square in the face.

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For most people, following two assassins with the apparent ability to teleport would prove impossible.

Yami Bakura was not most people.

The thief slipped through the shadows, the Millennium Ring glowing in his hand as he used its power to track his prey.

He'd watched the entire Duel between Mitzra-sensei and Marik - that in itself told him the two were not working together. But when he discovered that the other two assassins had been there and also done nothing...that led to some very interesting speculation.

Ryou had begged him to stop the duel - the boy was still in his Soul Room, and hadn't said a word. His heart was too weak, too soft for that sort of thing - but, then, wasn't that the reason he had Yami Bakura? To handle things?

:Ryou, stop crying.: he sent to his hikari. :I couldn't stop that Duel even if I'd been inclined to - it was a Shadow Game, and interfering would have had nasty consequences.:

:I'm not crying, mou yami no boku.: Ryou answered softly, his voice contemplative. :What Shadow Game?:

:Pay attention, yandoushi. The woman wouldn't have died from Osiris' attack if it weren't.:

:But...:

:Yes. Marik has the Millennium Rod and knows how to use it. I presume he's the reason I've been sensing intermittent Shadow Magic when you're at school.:

:We have to tell Yugi! He and mou hitori no Yugi will need to know this too!:

Yami Bakura sighed. :Use your brain, yandoushi. Do you really think that the Pharaoh and his host will believe me? I tried to steal their precious Puzzle - tried to lock he and his little friends all away in my Monster World so you would have someone to play with.: Yami Bakura shivered a little at the memory - for that was the same time he had very nearly lost his landlord. And though his was loath to admit it to anyone, that had scared him badly. He didn't know why he felt this way about Ryou, but he hadn't been lying to the boy when he had said that it felt good in him. It did...like he had found something he'd been missing for too long.

Maybe the Pharaoh no Baka was right and Ryou was the lost part of his soul, the part that had died in a small village outside Khemet 3000 years ago...

:They might not believe you...but they might believe me.: Ryou said very softly. The thief froze.

:What?:

:They might believe me. I am their friend - and I saw everything exactly as you did, mou yami no boku. In fact, I think I spotted something you didn't...: With that, he opened a memory to his darkness.

_The blast of flame from Osiris' attack lashed out, obliterating all in its path, including Mitzra-sensei. But just before the attack hit, he saw...she gestured, as though to stop the incredible attack. _

Yami Bakura felt his mouth dropping open in shock as he ran through the memory again. She had made a peculiar hand gesture, and the attack had flared around her, as though she had thrown up a shield...and then vanished.

:You see what I mean, mou yami no boku.: Ryou whispered in his mind. :I...don't think she's dead.:

:But that's...Shit, Ryou, who would have the ability to throw off the effects of a Shadow Game? Even if the attack didn't hit, she should have died - those were the _rules_.:

:You would know better than I...Bakura.:

The thief felt a little rush of pleasure from the boy, and realized he'd used Ryou's name again...and that the boy had used his, rather than calling him mou yami no boku like he usually did.

Why did that make him feel...a little happy?

He threw off the flash of emotion, ignoring it. :Which means that she is probably one of these 'wind assassins' as well. And it would explain why Black Diamond and the other one didn't do anything – they knew their confederate could escape the Game. So in fact...she was playing with Marik.: The thief smirked a little at the thought.

:Um...Bakura?:

:What is it, yandoushi?:

:Would you...are we...:

:Spit it out.:

:Can we tell Yugi-kun and mou hitori no Yugi about this? Please? Even if they don't believe me...us... – and I think they will – I would feel bad if we didn't warn them about this.:

Yami Bakura sighed. The less he saw of the Pharaoh, the happier he would be...but damnit, Ryou was giving him the puppy dog eyes from his soulroom – and he didn't want the kid to get the idea of challenging him again.

:Fine, we'll tell them...now be quiet, Ryou. I need to concentrate.: The hikari slipped out of Yami Bakura's conscious mind, leaving him in peace. The Ring flared slightly, suddenly pointing in two different directions rather than one. So, they had split up. Hmm.

Then a new thought entered his mind. If Mitzra-sensei was in fact still alive, where was she? Where had she reappeared after her little vanishing act? He closed his eyes and concentrated again, this time on the mental image of his teacher. The Ring flared to life, pointing him in a particular direction, but before he could follow its guidance purple-robed figures stepped out of the shadows.

"Not you fools again." Yami Bakura sneered at the Rare Hunters, most of whom carried Duel Discs on their arms.

"We challenge you to a duel, Bakura Ryou." The one in the lead stated melodramatically. Yami Bakura felt his sneer deepen even as the Ring allowed him to see the Shadow energies that bound the man to Marik's will.

"A duel...or a game?" the soul-stealer smiled. "Bakayarou. Very well, we will play the Shadow Game...but we will play alone. Ring, sever the strings that bind this man to another's will."

The Millennium Ring flared to life, rainbow light emerging from the Eye in the centre. Yami Bakura felt the struggle as Millennium Item fought Millennium Item – then gasped in surprise as a second source of will joined the match on his side. A ghost-image of Ryou appeared, translucent hands gripping the artifact, which grew luminescent as the sun.

The shadow-tendrils of control from the Rod snapped like old fishing line. Ryou sighed as the ghost-image vanished, while Yami Bakura blinked in shock. _What the hell just happened here?_

No time. He turned back to his erstwhile enemies, only to find the leader rolling on the floor in agony from the surge of power, his lackeys staring at him in horror. He smirked – there was one way to cut back the numbers without killing them, and Ryou shouldn't even complain.

"I would say you cannot continue – which means you lose." The thief smiled silkily. The powers of the Shadow Realm gathered around him, eager to be used. He searched his pockets, finally pulling out a bunch of gaming dice Ryou had left in there, holding them out, balanced on his palm. "Punishment game!"

The screams as their souls were pulled into the dice rang sweet as music in the night air.

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1 Means 'Yes, O shadow ruler of the wind' in what is probably very bad Japanese. Which is okay, because Phantom doesn't speak Japanese very well.

This section is for you people out there who play the game and might want to know:

Tyhone (Winged Beast) Wind-type (1200ATK/1400DEF)

Old Vindictive Magician (Spellcaster/Effect) Dark-type (450/600)

Wingweaver (Fairy) Light-type (2750/2400)

What Ari does in the duel is a couple of ways I thought of to get around Revival Slime. One more shot and she might have won, ne? Okay, maybe not.

Anyway, if you have a minute, please review! Thanks!


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